Life

Recipe: Grilled Peaches with Ricotta and Basil

August is National Peach month, the perfect time to celebrate the peach in all its taste and nutritional glory.

by Pip Taylor

Few things scream summer like a fresh peach. It's one of the great things about seasonal eating—looking forward to the comings and goings of different fruits and vegetables. Summer is when peaches and other stone fruit are at their peak. There are more than 2000 varieties of peaches, with over 300 grown in North America: from white fleshed to orange and deep ruby, and from round to squashed donut shaped, cling-stones to free-stones and firm-textured to juicy.

What's good about them? Aside from the taste, scent and sweetness of a fresh peach, they also hold their own on the nutritional front. The fiber, potassium, vitamin C and choline content in peaches all support heart health, and their high levels of antioxidants help combat inflammation. A single peach provides 15 percent of daily vitamin C requirements and 6 percent vitamin A. For athletes they are also a convenient package of carbs, providing some sweet refreshing energy.

Selecting: Gently press around the stem area, looking for a slight yield. Never squeeze the fruit, as they bruise easily. Smell –is perhaps the best test—look for a sweet perfume scent. Don’t judge their ripeness by color, as color will differ by variety. Buy in season for the best and freshest peaches, and where possible, choose organic. The fuzzy skins of peaches mean they can easily trap in pesticide sprays. Otherwise, wash and/or peel before eating.

Storing: Ripen peaches at room temperature. To ripen them more quickly, place in a paper bag. Once ripe, refrigerate and eat within several days. Peaches also freeze well.

Eating: Peaches are perhaps at their best when eaten fresh, right after a hot run, over a sink, with the juices dripping. But peaches lend themselves to many dishes from sweet to savory: sliced fresh in a green salad, made into jams or salsas, and even grilled or roasted as an accompaniment to meat or fish, as in the recipe below. Frozen peaches are a great addition to smoothies or baking.

Recipe – grilled peaches with basil and ricotta

4 fresh peaches, halved, stone removed

2 tsp honey

1 tbs finely sliced fresh basil leaves

1 cup fresh ricotta

zest and juice from 1 lime

Place peaches cut side up in an oven proof dish. Drizzle with 1 tsp honey and then place under a hot grill for 5 minutes or until starting to caramelize. Remove and scatter with basil leaves.

Meanwhile mix the juice and zest from the lime with the ricotta and the remaining teaspoon of honey. Serve with the peaches. Peaches can be eaten hot, warm or at room temperature.